HOW TO CONTROL PRE-PERFORMANCE NERVES
- Jan 30, 2020
- 4 min read
It’s 2020, do you believe that? An entire decade has passed by and so much has changed. The topic of mental health seems to be at the top of everyone’s agenda with awareness higher than ever before. Perhaps, it’s even beginning to be slightly abused with everyone jumping at the opportunity to diagnosing themselves with depression… but that’s a conversation for another blog.
For this post, we’re talking about performance anxiety, aka the nerves we all feel before a big show, performance or an important day – be it your wedding day or an interview, and our tips on how you can deal with them. The feeling of a thumping heart beat, hyperventilation and the thought of 10, 100, 1000 or 10 000 people staring at you, waiting for you to perform can be well, a bit overwhelming.
Despite being experienced drummers, we can all feel nervous too, especially when we’re trying something new. But like everything, as long as you equip yourself with the right tools, not only can you overcome pre-show nerves, but you can use them to your advantage too.
To help you, here are the Life of a Dhol Player top 5 tips to overcoming performance anxiety or nerves – be it playing dhol, giving a speech, audition, interview or your wedding day. Let’s start with tip no. 1…
Practice makes perfect
This sounds a little cliche but it’s so important. If you want to deliver a flawless performance, you need to put in the time and practice, there is no two-ways about it. Use that nervous energy and channel it into practicing. Even if you feel comfortable, if you have the time, getting that extra practice session in can really make the difference. Don’t look back wishing you had practiced a section of a performance. Just do it, it will fill you with the confidence you need on the day.
Like Sean Paul and Blu Cantrell said “Breathe”
If you don’t know that Breathe reference well then:
“So what’s that supposed to be about baby? (Breathe) Gal free up ya mind and stop actin’ crazy (Breathe)”
Being able to control your breathing can help calm your nerves down. I once took part in a two-day public speaking course in Coventry (of all places) and one of my biggest takeaways was to manage my breathing. Breathing helps regulate your heart rate and get you back into control. This is especially important if you’re prone to panic attacks (let’s be honest, most of us are).
If you’re looking for techniques, there are plenty of really quick and easy to understand videos on YouTube. Here is one for example.
Visualise your performance
The power of visualisation can be incredibly powerful. Many of the most successful sports figures practice visualisation. Being able to visualise a successful performance and physically replicate those feelings can stimulate your confidence.
Here’s how you can do it:
Get yourself into a quiet, comfortable room.
Write down all the things that will make this performance or activity an outstanding success.
Close your eyes, get yourself in a state of mindfulness. This is where you’re thinking about nothing but the here and now. Think about what you smell, what you’re touching, what you can feel & what you can hear at that very moment. If you need some help with mindfulness, watch this 10 minute mindfulness guide.
Now, once your mind is clear of any other bullshit, think about all those things you wrote down in point no. 2 which make up a successful performance. What are you playing? How is the crowd reacting? How do you feel while you’re performing? What can you smell? What can you see? Feel it in your gut like you are actually there performing right now.
The key here is not to let yourself think about the worst case scenario, but the best case scenario.
By doing this again and again you will fill yourself with confidence and genuinely believe you can deliver that incredible performance. You can read more about how athletes use visualisation here.
Understanding that mistakes happen and that’s okay
The one thing I’ve learnt throughout my life is that sometimes, no matter how meticulous your planning is, something will go wrong and it’s important to be okay with it. If you make a mistake be sure to look back in retrospect at why you’ve made the mistake, learn from it, allow yourself 15 minutes to feel bad about it and then move the fuck on. Don’t cry over spilt milk because you can’t go back and change what has already happened.
Remember: You probably know more about whatever it is you’re going to perform or do than your audience. Let’s face it, most people don’t even listen to a dhol player dropping a tirket at a wedding, it’s more for us to keep score and showcase our technical superiority. So don’t fixate on whatever didn’t go to plan, just roll with it and carry on.
Look after yourself, physically
Being nervous before a big performance can demand huge amounts from us, physically. We can forget to eat, drink enough water or get drawn into a cycle of constant sleep deprivation. Going out clubbing and drinking the night before is definitely not going to help. Don’t worry, Dirty Martini isn’t going anywhere (for our London-based followers that know every Dirty Martini is the baitest club for Indians ).
So, how can you look after yourself?
Make sure you’re drinking enough water.
Make sure you have a balanced diet. Sugary and fatty foods can fuel anxiety and nerves.
If you can’t sleep, try the mindfulness and breathing techniques mentioned above.
Avoid alcohol.
Avoid the big bag of weed, coke, crack & Gobi. Because it’s disgusting.
If you need some time alone away from everyone else before your performance, find a quiet corner or go for a walk.
Whatever it is, make sure you’re physically sound for your performance.
So there are our top 5 tips to help you calm your nerves and anxiety before a performance, be it playing dhol, dancing or giving a speech. There are many others, but this is a great place to start. Remember: It’s important you enjoy the experience and have fun with it. No one starts off being awesome, it comes it with making mistakes and learning.
Disclaimer: If you are suffering from serious anxiety, see someone who is qualified and get some help.
Don’t pretend it’s not there, because it will only get worse.
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